Starter for automobile-engines.



J. KRAMER.

STARTER FOR 'AUTOMOBILE ENGINES. APPLlCATlON FILED MAR. 19. 1917.

1,249,971. Patented Dec.11,1917.

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1% Attorney.

UNTTED STATES FATENT @FFTQE.

JAMES KRAMER, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO G. N.

PUCKETT AND ONE-FIFTH T0 G. M. TREPHAGEN, BOTH OF LOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA.

STARTER FOR AUTOMOBILE-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1917..

Application filed March 19, 1917. Serial No. 155,776.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs KRAMER, a Russian subject, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Starter for Automobile-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in starters of the type that are adapted for hand or foot operation from the drivers seat of an automobile; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a starter that may be readily attached to any of the standard designs of automobiles; second, to

. simplify the construction, and reduce the cost of manufacture, by the employment of the smallest number of parts consistent with the duty to be performed; and, third, to reduce the noise that commonly accompanies the use of such devices as the result of vibration transmitted from the engine.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the starter proper, being a section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 2 is a side elevation with certain of the parts broken away to more clearly indicate the construction; and Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The body part 1 of the starter is adapted for being mounted on the crank shaft 2 of an automobile engine to revolve with the latter, and is attached to it by means of the taper pin 3.

The body 1 has peripheral ratchet teeth 4, and, at its forward end, the face ratchet teeth 5 formed integrally upon it. The face ratchet teeth are adapted for engagement by the pin 6 of hand crank shaft 7 in the usual manner for hand cranking. Body 1 is provided with the axial recess 8 for engaging shaft 7 when hand cranking is resorted to.

Revolubly mounted upon 1, with the ratchet teeth 4 between them, are the rings 9 and 10. Each of these rings is formed integrally with a radial arm as shown at 11 and 12 respectively. These arms are for the 13, by means of which the ratchet teeth 4 are actuated. Dog '13 is pivoted upon pin 14, and the pin 15 limits its motion, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The pins 14 and 15 are each formed with shoulders, as shown in the detail view of Fig. 3. They are tightly riveted in place and serve to hold the two arms 11 and 12, with their corresponding rings, rigidly in their proper relative positions as a structural unit.

Dog 13 is formed integrally with the arm 16. At its outer end this arm is forked, and within this slot the lever 17 is pivoted, as shown at 18. 1 7

At its upper end, lever 17 is attached to the chain 19, leading over guide pulleys, not shown, to a suitable hand or foot lever located in a convenient position for operating from the drivers seat of the car.

To the lower end of lever 17 is attached the tension spring 20. This spring leads off in the general direction indicated in Fig. 1, and its lower end is attached to the frame or other stationary part of the car.

The motion of lever 17 relative to arm 16 is limited by the shape of the bottom of th slot in which lever 17 is pivoted. The shape ofthe bottom of this slot is shown in dotted lines at 21 in Fig. 1.

At 22 is shown one fairly common form of a bracket support which is attached to the engine crank case at one end, and serves to support the bearing 23, for the hand crank shaft 7, at the other. Where the form of this bracket is suitable, as shown in the drawing, it is utilized as a limiting stop for the starter as shown in Fig. 1 at 24. Where the shape of the bracket is not suitable, a limiting stop in corresponding position must be provided. This should be attached to the engine crank case, or other stationary part of the car.

The dotted lines shown at 25 in Fig. 1 indicate the position of the various parts of the starter when it is at rest, previous to starting.

The operation of the invention is as follows:

When it is desired to start the engine, the driver exerts a pull upon the chain 19 by means of a foot pedal or hand grip worked from the seat of the car. This immediately causes the dog 13 to engage the ratchet teeth 7 therefore transformed into a rotary force adapted to crank the engine. As soon as the engine starts the rotary speed will be greater than that of the dog 13, and being relieved of the pressure against the ratchet teeth the latter will disengage itself from them by reason of the angularity existing between the directions of the forces exerted by spring 20 and chain 19. This angularity will tend to cause the lever 17 to move into line with the spring so that the pivot 18 tends to move to the right, and in so doing moves pivot 14L to the right also. This has the effect of causing dog 13 to move out of engagement with teeth 4 as will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1. After the engine has started, the chain 19 is released and spring 20 restores the parts to the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1 at 25.

In case the engine should back fire when being started, the dog 13 is carried backward to the point where its rear heel comes into contact with the limiting stop 24 which immediately throws it out of engagement with the ratchet teeth, and into the position shown in dotted lines at 25 in Fig. 1.

The invention is not limited to the details of construction shown, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a gas engine starter, the combination with a cylindrical body part having ratchet teeth upon its periphery and adapted for attachment to an engine crank shaft, of a pair of spaced arms revolubly mounted about the axis of said body part with said ratchet teeth between them; a pawl pivoted intermediate its length between said arms ipon a stud connecting them, and adapted for engaging said teeth with its inner end; a lever pivoted intermediate its length to the outer end of said pawl and constrained by stops to assume an angular position relative thereto, means for exerting a pull upon one end of said lever to cause said pawl to engage said teeth to revolve said body part; and a springattached to the other end of said lever for restoring said parts to their normal disengaged position.

2. In a gas engine starter, the combination with a body part adapted to be attached to an engine crank shaft, of ratchet teeth upon the periphery of said body and concentric with the axis of said shaft; arms mounted upon said body adapted to revolve about said axis; a pawl pivoted upon said arms intermediate its length, and adapted for engaging said teeth with its inner end; a lever pivoted intermediate its length to the outer end of said pawl and limited by stops so as to assume an angular position relative to said pawl; means for exerting a pull upon one end of said lever to cause said pawl to engage said teeth to revolve said body part; and a spring attached to the other end of said lever adapted for restoring said parts to their normal disengaged position when unactuatecl.

8. In a gas engine starter, the combination with a member having peripheral teeth concentric with its axis and adapted for engaging an engine crank shaft, of spaced arms revolubly mounted upon said member concentric with said axis with said teeth between; a pawl pivoted intemediate its length between. said arms to engage said teeth with its inner end; a lever pivoted intermediate its length upon the outer end of said pawl and constrained to assume an angular position relative thereto; means for exerting a pull upon one end of said lever for causing said pawl to engage said teeth to revolve said member; and means acting upon the other end of said lever for restoring said parts to normal posit-ion.

a. In a gas engine starter, the combination with a member having peripheral teeth concentric with its axis andadapted for engaging an engine crank shaft, of arms mounted upon said member adapted to revolve about said axis; a pawl pivoted intermediate its length upon said arms adapted to engage said teeth with its inner end; a lever pivoted intermediate its length upon the outer end of said pawl and constrained to assume an angular position relative thereto; means for exerting a pull upon one end of said lever for causin said pawl to engage said teeth to revolve said member; and means acting upon the other end of said lever for restoring said parts to normal position.

5. In a gas engine starter, the combination with a member adapted for engaging a crank shaft and provided with peripheral teeth, of an armrevolubly mounted about the axis of said member; a pawl pivoted intermediate its length upon said arm; a lever pivoted intermediate its length to the outer end of said pawl and constrained to assume an angular relation thereto; a stop adapted to contact with said pawl to disengage it from said teeth; means for actuating oneend of said lever to cause said pawl to engage said teeth to revolve said member; and a spring acting upon the other end of said lever to normally-hold said pawl against said stop.

JAMES KRAMER.

Gepies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or" Patents, Washington, D. e. 

